The K Desktop Environment

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7. The window manager

The default window manager provided by KDE is the K Window Manager (KWM). Please read "The K Window Manager Handbook" (should be accessible from KDE Help) for usage information.

7.1 Are there keyboard shortcuts for KWM operations?

Yes, there are some shortcuts for the most common operations.

Alt-Esc, Ctrl-Esc

Invoke the "Current Session" manager.

Alt-Tab, Alt-Shift-Tab

Traverse the windows on the current desktop.

Ctrl-Tab, Ctrl-Shift-Tab

Traverse the virtual desktops.

Alt-F2

Execute command.

Alt-F3

Popup the window operation menu.

Alt-F4

Close active window.

Ctrl-F[1..8]

Switch to virtual desktop.

Ctrl-Alt-Esc

Destroy window mode.

7.2 Can I define my own set of keyboard shortcuts?

Yes, if you are using KDE 1.1 and above. Go to Settings->Keys->GlobalKeys to configure window manager bindings like maximising of windows, etc. For starting apps, you'd need to install KHotKeys, though.

7.3 When I "iconify" a window, it disappears. Where does it go?

With many X GUI's, the minimize button (a little dot) will erase the window that the program is running in and create, instead, an icon on the desktop. KDE does not do this. Instead, when a window is iconified it is simply hidden (but the program is still running).

There are two ways to get the window back:

7.4 How do I get a sticky window with no border and focus?

In the current KDE you can use kstart for this (assuming the application you want to start is xosview):

kstart xosview -window xosview -sticky -decoration none
Try kstart -help for additional help.

In KDE-1.0 you'd need to write something like this in kwmrc:

[Sticky]
stickyClasses=xosview,
[Focus]
noFocusClasses=xosview,
[Decoration]
noDecorationClasses=xosview,

In the current KDE you can set these settings in the control center under Windows/Advanced.

7.5 How do I kill kwmpager?

Click on the border frame with the right mouse button to bring up a menu which will let you close the pager. By the way, kwmpager is obsolete and will be replaced by kpager.

In addition, if you prefer working through a terminal, type

ps ax | grep kwmpager 

to find it and then kill it using

kill pid
(please replace "pid" with the relevant pid!). Or if you dread the idea of using CLI, just press Ctrl-Alt-Esc, and then move the pirate-skull mouse pointer over kwmpager and click to kill it. To abort (not undo!) the kill, just press Ctrl-Alt-Esc again.

7.6 How do I maximize windows only vertically or horizontally?

Provided your window isn't already maximized, clicking on the maximize button with left/middle/right mouse button will maximize fully/vertically/horizontally respectively.

7.7 What is "shading a window"?

By "shading a window" we mean "rolling up" a window leaving just the titlebar visible. To enable it with a double click on the titlebar, simply go to the KDE Control Center and look under Windows/Titlebar and set the option "LeftMouseButton double click on titlebar does:" to "(Un)Shade".

7.8 Is it possible to have FVWM2-like shadow frameworks for the placement of windows?

Yes. Run KDE Control Center and select Windows -> Properties. There is a dialog option that allows you to set the placement policy you want.

7.9 How do I disable session management?

Open up your startkde script with your favourite editor and find the line launching kwm (usually the last line). Change it to "kwm -nosession".

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